October 19th, 2003 – January 29th, 2007 Frost ‘T” passed away in his sleep this AM. It was as if he held on waiting until I knew/understood what he was trying to tell me(as per the above) in that he was really ready to go and then he left. We had our normal AM schedule; up around 6:00 AM, out and he came back to bed lying in his favourite spot (and even on his side) touching me for a snooze before I had to get the kids up. I felt a deep sigh and when I got up to get the kids up; he had passed on. He was not having any breathing problems, not acting out of the ordinary or anything whatsoever. Frost ‘T’ has begun a new journey and I am feeling very alone and lost right now. Sean came home from work and we have laid him to rest in one of our special spots so that he can continue to overlook his home and his family. Frost ‘T’ in death was as he was in life to me; right by my side taking care of me.

It is time……….Frost ‘T’ has eaten barely anything in the last couple of days and has become a little more weak. He no longer can lie on his side to rest and I know in my heart when he is looking at me; that it is now time and he is ready. He has not had any particular trouble breathing and is in good spirits yet I know in my heart & soul what he is saying to me. The light in his eyes has changed. I will be calling my Vet’s Office tomorrow to make the best, most calm and safe plus wonderful time for him. I wish peace for him and one of the techs I work with has offered to come to my place if need be so that our good-byes are as loving and warm as possible with minimal strain/stress to him. I wish all my data on my computer had not been lost for I have very few pictures of him now………..It will be some time for me to be able to compose his memorial for I have not even had the ability to do Snowball’s as of yet and Frost ‘T’ is just going to set me into a tailspin of utter despair plus devastation. Frost ‘T’ has defied the odds in surviving almost 14 months of miracle making memories/history by living as long as he has including four bouts of pneumonia and having had the sheer quality of life to boot. However; to me; he will always be my heart. There will never be another dog like Frost ‘T’ who does not have a mean bone in his body and even at his lowest of health; he has always retained a wag and special smile of love for those around him. I have never met such an incredible creature whose spirit just lit up any room he graced and for all of his height (almost 41″) he was the kindest and gentlest of beings that would nuzzle a small baby with such sweetness as to melt the most hardened of souls out there. He was a dream dog, one in a zillion+ and while many other dogs would have fought long before now in taking 53+ pills a day; Frost ‘T’ did it with no issues as if he knew that he needed them to continue to fight the good fight. I just positively adore this boy and the most unselfish gift I can give him is to now let him go for when he lies in bed with me at night; I see it in his eyes and he deserves the right to go with dignity intact and that shall be done. If ever there was a dog that was ‘man’s best friend’; Frost ‘T’ was mine and until our paths cross again; I hold dear to my heart & soul the memories we have built up together my dear friend. HEARTS TO YOU!

Frost ‘T has had all good days since the 17th of January, making it 5 bad days in 28. Nothing that we did not worry or stress over overly much when he was having some difficulties. I am still ill myself and will take Frost ‘T’ in for a re-weigh etc. as soon as I can. He is still not eating very well but he is in really good spirits and his eye is looking good though it is still very dilated and he is no longer on the meds. He is still limping a bit when he gets up due to slow circulation. He is sleeping more and more on the bean bag chairs over being on my bed due to ease of breathing as he can rest his head on the floor and thanks to all who continue to help us to find them! I plan on taking Frost ‘T’ with me to work next week to hang out as he LOVES it and misses it!

Yesterday marked another bad day for Frost ‘T’, making it 5 days now in the past 22 days. sigh…He has pretty much eaten nil, save for some beef and has preferred to eat snow over drinking water WHICH we all know that is not good! His eye is looking really good; though very dilated and we are suppose to go back in tonight for a recheck yet I am quite ill myself right now. When I feel his ribs etc., he feels like he is a bit more weighty yet on days like this; all the forward movement we have just stops abruptly. HE just loves all of this 20+cm of snow that we received on Monday. He is also running a slight temperature at this time though his feet are very chilly. He is finding it hard to breathe in this sudden -29 degree C weather. I am worried about leaving him this weekend though I know he is in excellent hands with Sean. Frost ‘T’ has also begun to find it harder to stay on his side(his favourite sleeping/resting position) for he will make some low groaning noises (the best that I can describe it) and then either shoot to a standing position or lying on his belly. It is really strange but now I know within a day when he is going to have another bad day and yet there is nothing I can do about preventing it. 🙁

Frost ‘T’ might have glaucoma but more likely that it has something to do with his heart which I had already felt and the Vet agrees that the circulation etc is most likely the cause. He has lost another 3 KGs(54KGS now) of weight in the past month. I was honestly surprised it was not more. He was wagging his tail, eating liver treats and drinking water from the sink and after another long hard discussion with the Vet; we are going to give him some more days to see if the Atropine and Pred will work. The problem with the Pred is now it will expose him back to Pneumonia but we need to get some of the inflammation down. He has so much blood in his eye that you cannot even see the lens. The Vet felt that if WE can get him to eat; he will have more time. He has stopped eating any kind of kibble and has been eating wet dog food and home cooked meals. I have just begun to switch him to RAW. He is on Flagyl (5 pills 2x daily) as is for his chronic diarrhea for being a double merle SN’s baby; he has also come with an immature digestive and immune system so as many can experience some diarrhea in the switching to RAW(from what I have been told); he would make no difference to him with his system being that he already has the CD. So, we will see if it spreads to the other eye or if he vomits up more blood(he did a bit last night) and he is not a candidate for surgery if it is something that surgery might be able to fix. He is hemorrhaging behind that eye and we need to avoid a clot and the building up of pressure. I told the Vet that if this has anything at all to do with his heart that I am not going to put him through anymore. That eye is clearly not comfortable for him and as the Vet said ‘he is protecting it’ and he is already deaf plus visually impaired and he is a bit worried now around the other dogs as he can see almost nothing now out of that eye. She said that yes he is thin and yes, he is on that slow slide down but he is still have quality and to see if the Atropine and the Pred will help. He has now had 4 bad days in the last 19 days. The problem will be with the sun(the whole front of our house is also windows due to passive solar heating) and what the Atropine does is enlarges the pupil so that it is dilated like sometimes the eye doctor does in exams. He refuses to wear his doggles and has been that way for quite some time. The Vet feels that we need to give it a couple of days to get a better idea if it is heart related or not. She agreed that it was not an injury(how could it be – the poor boy is not out running like a maniac these days) and did a lot of research on how best to move forward. I simply adore this dog. IT was so hard; I had a special blanket and was prepared that this might be it.in fact every time I have brought him in over the past month has been a very big reality of possibly having to put him down and it is HELL! I had the kids say good-bye along with Sean and we took more pictures.  I am trying to stay so objective here and everyone at the Hospital said that he is having quality of life as he was not depressed, he had head up high, tail wagging and yes, he was pale in the gums as he has very poor perfusion and is thin 119.68 pounds (54.4KGS) now down from 62.20 KGS last fall which is up from the mere 40sometingKGs he fell to in December 2005. HE so loved sticking his head out the sunroom(one of his most fav things to do) and so I blasted the heat, drove through the local McDonalds and Timmie’s(great coffee place for those that drink coffee, I don’t!)for his usual admiration and loving plus treats(though he does not eat them) on our way back home. When I got home; I began to really sob for Sean had put on the door with the kids four posters that I have to take a picture of ‘WELCOME HOME FROST ‘T’. WE LOVE YOU!!!’ Frost ‘T’ has had nothing but good days since last Tuesday and the meds are working well on his eye. He is not liking the ‘texture’ of the RAW food as I already suspected yet we are trying to persevere. He was eating almost 11 cans of wet dog food a day and no kibble. He did eat almost a whole chicken on Saturday so that was awesome!!! He has taken to wanting to pay in short bursts with Thor and has shown some interest in toys again. I will be taking him back in on Wednesday when I am back into work myself for a re-weigh, re-evaluation plus just to hang out. I am posting a couple new pictures of Frost ‘T’ below as well.

Tuesday marked the second really bad day in the last week that Frost ‘T’ has had. He had 5 really good days and then the bad one and it was terrible. He could only eat small pieces of roast chicken that I hand fed him and barely drank as he was struggling so hard to breathe. By the time I went to bed at 4:00 AM on Wednesday; he was finally having a good rest on his side. Later on Wed., he was eating his roast chicken, stews etc. without any issues and I am now going to switch to RAW for he refuses to touch any kibble of any kind and unless I home cooking his meals all the time or giving him wet canned dog food(of which there is not enough to keep a dog of his size alive on just the canned food); I am going RAW. He has been doing a lot of resting on one of the beanbag chairs since his bad day but he is lying on his side where he is most comfortable at and I know that when he does that he is breathing well. His tail is wagging really well but he is still so painfully thin. The other thing was that last night after feeding him; he vomited up some of his food and he had blood in it. He only did it once and he seemed very surprised by it as he just lifted his head off the beanbag chair brought up some food and then was fine. I will monitor. Thanks to Merrilee, Deanna, Mary etc. who have been sending me suggestions on those beanbag chairs. I am going to see if there is a Sears depot in Brockville, ON that I could possibly order the 102cm beanbag chairs online and hopefully it will not take two months to get there. GREAT IDEAS! THANKS from my heart! I am also going to look at getting more coats for I have been rotating between his and Guinness Therapy Coat(the only other dog coat I have that has a big enough barrel of a chest that will fit Frost ‘T on his chest!)and he needs more, especially with the temperatures falling. The hard thing for me to reconcile within myself is that Frost ‘T’s good days are really good for the most part and when he has those; I just cannot picture myself letting him go and then I see his bad days and they are bad like when he first was ill in December of 2005 and I just re-visit the whole thing about what is best for Frost ‘T’. I just hope that I have the wisdom and strength to continue to do what is right for Frost ‘T’. He felt so good the other morning that he ‘roo rood’ for quite some time outside at the blowing flag on the flagpole(no one ever said that Frost ‘T’ was the smartest bunny in the forest!) and had spirit! 🙂 It was like he was ‘aware’ of what was around him and not just focusing on getting that next breath into his body. This is the dog that is very quiet and for him to do that was very heartwarming AS he had energy! The expression on his face was priceless when he came into the bedroom as well for he was SOOO proud of what he had done. I just wish that he had not decided to do it at 6:30 AM when I had just gotten to bed about one hour earlier! LOL Sean felt terrible that it woke me up as he had let the dogs out again just as he was heading off to work; but I just had to laugh. For me the memory making continues and this is one that will be cherished! 4:00 PM UPDATE: I am bringing Frost ‘T’ to the Vet tonight for 7:30 PM. He blew his left eyeball somehow today AND he has done nothing out of the ordinary and I plan on getting a re-weigh. I am also keeping in the back of my mind that this might be the time to let him go especially if his eye has anything to do with his heart. He had two great meals today so far and has been having a really comfortable rest all tucked up in blankets so otherwise; he is faring well but if his heart is causing other problems in his body; I will not ask anymore of/from him.

Around 4:00 AM on the 3rd of January, Frost ‘T’ had another really bad day. That made 2 bad days in the past 7. It was a very worrisome day Since that bad day on the 3rd; Frost ‘T’ has had really good days up to and including today so far. When I saw the Vet on Thursday night as Guinness has annual visit; he talked to me about what the UOG had indicated in regards to using this sodium treatment as another possible way to help Frost ‘T’. I declined it at the time due to how bad things were the day before(and felt plus and the Vet agreed that it might not be of any real benefit) but now; when I see the Vet on Wednesday (I work then and time for Maggi’s annual); I might re-visit it. Last night was the first time Frost “T” was back up eating his normal 5 smaller meals and he ate roast chicken, cheese and beef stew. He is thin as a rail the poor boy. My Vet calls Frost ‘T’ his most favourite patient and I know he is just as concerned and cares about his wellbeing as I do. I can no longer get him to eat any kibble. He just refuses to eat it; and a note to those that feel that if a dog is hungry enough; they will eat; has never met my Frost ‘T’. He will literally starve before eating something he does not want and has always been that way. IT was not something that we conditioned him to be ‘a picky eater’. So I might go RAW with him just to try and get him to eat more. He has not perked up in his play behavour and is still quite weak but his eyes are clearer and more focused and bright. My Vet told me that the valves and cords in his heart are just not functioning right on top of his 3 Heart conditions and I do not kid myself that I am going to get years with him and am still frustrated about him receiving the wrong meds; which has accelerated everything. As things stood on Wednesday; the perfusion and body core temperature etc. in his body just cannot keep itself regulated. He most often likes to sleep on one of the beanbag chairs as he can hang his head over more comfortably than the side of the bed for the nasal discharge. The problem is that he wants to be near me and the beanbag chairs are on the floor so we are still trying to work out sleeping arrangements to the benefit of everyone! I might put a mattress on the floor to sleep with him, we will have to see what we are going to do. Many people have been sending us notes and emails and calls of support and asking if there is anything they can do; beyond the obvious of making him better and I thank all of you from my heart for this. What we could use are the continued prayers and well wishes and if anyone knows of a place that is selling beanbag chairs at this time; please let me know. Sears has them on back order for almost up to 2 months for my area and I need more as this is the ONLY place that he is able to get any true rest on. We have three right now and one that we need to repair(Liquorice accidentally got a nail caught; first time we have ever had that happen and now we have a tear in one). With Boba, Liquorice, Frost ‘T’ and Kona plus the wee squishie boyz loving the chairs; I do not have enough to ensure that Frost ‘T’ has several throughout the house and for that matter for Liquorice or Boba or the other dogs that prefer/love the beanbag chairs. I would deeply appreciate it if anyone finds any or comes across any to let me know so I can go and buy them! 🙂

Frost ‘T’ is still here with us. He was also put back on an appetite stimulator and even while I was away in Kitchener last week; he was eating almost 2 meals a day. He slept mostly for Sean while I was gone and when I returned on Friday; he had a really bad night and day and it made me think of the things that I said to two friends of mine in Kitchener that he is now no longer having good days with a ‘bad’ day thrown in; he is now having bad days with a ‘good’ day thrown in. I don’t want him to merely ‘exist’ and so had resolved that I must do what is ‘right’ for him. Then Frost ‘T’ has now had good days on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and has been eating all the roast chicken, beef stew, cheese and homemade pizza that I have been given him. While he is still not eating his 5 meals a day like he needs; he is now eating and has not needed lasix since I have come home on Friday. Sean is right though that he is ‘thin as a rail’ and he is still wearing Guinness’ coat to keep warm. I have to find what happened to his own custom made coat as it seems to just have gone MIA. 🙁 If I have not already posted it above somewhere; Frost ‘T’s latest electrolytes have also still been normal. I am still waiting to hear back from my Vet about him touching base with the UOG but do understand that last week was holidays for many. And as one of my friends asked me the ‘tough’ question about would I prefer that he just pass in his sleep; I answered ‘yes, I would love to take the coward’s way out and have him die in his sleep or to drop dead running outside so that I would not have to bring him in to put a needle into him’. I was very honest about it and would still like to see that being the way for him to save him and yes, me stress and anxiety yet I also owe it to Frost ‘T’ to be strong and not let things linger if that is the case. I also mentioned that it would be so much easier for me to bring him in, hand him over and let someone else do the ‘deed’ yet I would never dream of doing that either. I adore this dog and I will be there right by his side, holding and loving him with my tears if a needle is the way we need to go. I could never abandon him and as he has given me so much and been there for me, I OWE it to him to be there for him. Frost ‘T’ does have poor perfusion with his blue lips and purple ears and his circulation is quite poor that he is often numb and limping in his limbs from lying down and has to ‘walk’ it off to get the blood/air moving in those areas. THE thing that I am so thrilled about is that Frost ‘T’ has seen snow again. HE was SOOOO excited and when I came back from Kitchener, he actually raced to see me and made his very special ‘roo roos’ That was music to my ears. I plan on bringing him in soon to get a re-weigh on him.

Frost “T” actually has had a few hours of straight rest(on his side which is his favourite) since we increased his dig .25 of a pill twice a day. He is still pretty much non existent in the eating and tonight I tried tuna, his old favourite of french baguette(do not want to give him overly much for fear of expansion in his belly) and roast turkey along with some beef stew. HE ate most of that but refused to eat any of his dry dog food. AT least he ate something. I made an appointment for 1:30 PM today and should he not eat well at breakfast tomorrow; I will bring him in. I have been so appreciative of the many emails and calls from wonderful people who are really pulling for Frost ‘T’. AT the very least I want to bring him in to have him re-evaluated as it has been a week plus to get a new weight on him. Sean was almost reduced to tears when he saw him after a week of being away…………..I ended up getting to bed at 4:00 AM yesterday waiting for Sean and the wee one’s to come home and when I went to lie down as Sean was still about 4 hours away due to two accidents he was caught behind; Frost ‘T’ was up every hour either having to pee, could not breathe or had diarrhoa. I will gladly forgo any rest for Frost ‘T’ as long as he is healing and bouncing back yet I am not at this time sure he is really progressing and try to remain as objective in my medical training as possible to continue to make the right decision. Today marks one year since Frost ‘T’ began a whole new journey and may we find the strength to do the ‘right’ thing for him moving forward. WE took more pictures of him tonight to continue with our precious memory making. All I want for XMAS is for him to be ‘ok’ and for whatever that means; I will support. I simply adore this boy. There is no other way to put it and right now he is giving me ‘fish’ breath kisses telling me it is time to cuddle! 🙂 Today marks his one year ‘miracle survival’ mark and it so filled with emotion.

My Vet called me today and we had very hard talk about Frost ‘T’. The Vet also et me know that Frost ‘T’s Electrolyte levels have came back normal. He has suggested upping one of his meds as a possible ‘last’ resort any way (even though he is pretty much maxed out) as Frost “T” is clearly not doing well (so what is there to really lose) and will be contacting the UOG tomorrow (University of Guelph) to see if they have any other things we could possibly try at this point. The Vet believes that while he is not in Congestive Heart failure at this time; his heart is beginning to give out on him. Frost ‘T’ is eating some wet canned food only and it is not enough to even keep a bird alive. He cannot eat as he cannot eat as he cannot breathe. I told the Vet that unless he does a miraculous 360 turn in the next two days; when Sean comes home on Thursday; I shall let Frost ‘T’ go. I adore this dog too much to let him just merely ‘exist’. And what I have been doing is creating more amazing memories plus taking Frost ‘T’ on some possible ‘last time’ adventures. We have been driving places and though it is chilly, I have opened up the sunroof and blasted the heat as he loves to stick his head out and let him just ‘do his thing’. Frost ‘T’ used to love the drive-through at McDonald’s and while he won’t eat the fries or nuggets anymore; he loves having his head out the window for the employees there to reach out and pet him. The same goes for the local Timmie’s. We have been taking small strolls here and there(I wish we had snow, Frost “T” has always loved the snow); visiting friends and spending a lot of time just being together with me touching plus holding him. His tail wags let me know that he is very appreciative of our outings and I think it distracts him a bit from feeling ‘icky’. I try to not to ‘mourn’ him as if he is already gone yet I do spend a lot of time on the verge of tears if not actually weeping for this boy is a huge part of me and I feel like he is ‘fading’ literally before my eyes and I am helpless, frustrated, upset and even a little angry that the world is losing another precious creature who does not deserve this. Do we have hope still, I guess it is always there but unless we can get him to eat and rest and get ‘back up on his feet’; I cannot see how he can carry on much longer. I do not want to be the person who ‘failed’ him by keeping him alive when it was time to let him go and nor do I want to be known as the person who ‘failed’ him by giving up on him either. At this point in time, for those that have been following his story; hug your loved one’s close and please continue to spare Frost ‘T’ a thought of positive energy for I know he could use it right now.

Was at the Vet’s last night with Frost ‘T’ as he did not eat on Tuesday and has eaten very little since, he is lethargic and just weak. We are running electrolyte and digoxin levels and his lungs are clear WHICH is awesome news……but he has lost 4.6 KG (almost 11 pounds) of weight in 10 days. He is now 57 KGS. He is drinking and still only 5% dehydrated so that is good. His temperature is very low normal 38.3 and the normal range is 38 – 38.9……We got him to eat some wet p/d and liver treats while we were at the Hospital. So, I brought 4 cans home and of course watch him just eat the wet and leave the dry….. According to the Vet he is not yet in congestive heart failure and while he is clearly in a slide and said that I would be doing no wrong either way I went with him and also said that perhaps we should give him the weekend at least to see if he can recover more. We might also get another ultrasound to see about damage to the heart and especially to some of his cords and valves. I asked the Vet very plainly if Frost ‘T’ was suffering and he said no but that is clearly not in great shape and that he is ‘max’ out in the levels of the 5 heart meds he can be given…there is no more that he can be given without everything just shutting down on him….He will be going back in on Monday for the day for monitoring and more testing….AT least the pneumonia is now gone!!!! With Sean and the wee one’s in NB, I did not wish to be bringing my baby Frost ‘T’ home to bury and not have my support system at home to just ‘be there’.

I thought for sure that Frost “T” was going to die on me last night. Around 11 PM he started to froth at the mouth, his pupils became very dilated, he was not ‘aware’ of his surroundings and was very weak. I pumped even more lasix into him around 11:30 PM and he had his antibiotics and I monitored his TPR and his gums were pale and his ears purple in trying to get the air flowing in his body. He could not lie down and his nose began to ‘run’ with clear fluid. I was just on the verge of rushing him into emerg. when he finally was able to lie down on his belly and get some rest and while it was not very peaceful; he could at least get off his feet. Around 3 AM he was up for another long pee, some more lasix was given around 3:30 AM and this became the pattern throughout the rest of the night. He also had one pee accident in my bed and one on the floor near the door as he could not quite get outside in time. Around 7:30 AM today; he finally was able to stop coughing, puffing enough to actually lie on his side(his favourite resting/sleeping position) and had a really nice couple hours of deep sleep. He even ate some food for Breakfast today and also some more food for lunch and a little for dinner. By the time, he got up for good around noon; he was wagging his tail more, his pupils were back to normal and he had a little energy to trot outside as he went to go pee. He did not stop his normal level of drinking throughout this whole episode and it has now completely vanished. I will be calling his Vet tomorrow for Frost ‘T’ has never ‘frothed’ up like that with his pupils so dilated. I truly thought he was dying on me and gave him lots of hugs and told him that it was ‘ok to go to be with WinterGirl’ if that is what he needed to do. I told him to not worry about us and that we would be reunited later. Sean stayed with us until about 2:30 AM and then I sent him off to bed for some rest so that we could tag team later if need be. The lasix is just sucking the weight off him though…sigh. He is now lying on a doggie bed near me chewing a chewie and is pretty content though still a bit ‘weak’ in his walking. I will definitely be bringing him in for electrolyte, bw and digoxin level testing just to name a few things to see what answers we might find.

I thought I was going to have to let Frost “T” go last Saturday for he was just not improving very much. I then agreed to try a different med and I found out yesterday that the one med that he was put on for the last 2 weeks was one that could cause a reaction with his some of his other regular meds of which he is on 5 for his heart and one for chronic diarrhoea! To put it mildly, I was positively not happy. I almost LET him go on Saturday as he was doing so poorly and to think that being given something for him that was making him that much worse and not better and would have cost him his life; is really upsetting to say the least. Frost “T” will have to undergo some tests on his heart etc. to see what/if any damage has been caused. He is eating a bit more now but is almost 15 pounds down from what he was. We can only hope that he WILL bounce back after this mess up. It will be one year on December 23rd since he began this incredible journey of survival and I am wishing that he has the fight/will to be here with us.

Frost ‘T’ made his 11 month miracle survival mark yesterday but it is a bit of a bittersweet moment for he is really ill once again. Once our weather began dipping past -6C and downward; Frost ‘T’ has been struggling to breathe. He is back wearing his very special coat that we asked Heidi to make for him yet the weather has taken it’s toll. He has pneumonia again and is on antibiotics plus we are pumping the Lasix into him every 4-6 hours. His chronic diarrhoea is also worse. He once again cannot lie down to rest and for the past two days, I have sat leaning against our leather couches holding him up so that he can put his head on my shoulder to get some sleep. IF he does not keep up his strength, he will not have the reserves to fight this latest battle. He has also found it very hard to eat and now that he feels worse; has little interest in food and has dropped almost 10 pounds. I continue to entice him and if I feel that he is not drinking sufficiently, we will go back to subquing him. I know that Thor has been hard on him too. Thor has no idea when ‘enough’ is enough and we continue to work on Thor. Thor is a rough playing boy with lots of endurance and while he is learning manners plus direction, I can see that he has taxed Frost ‘T’. We had made the decision that Frost ‘T’s life was about quality and not quantity yet it is also hard seeing that Frost ‘T’ cannot really keep up etc. so I haf taken to making sure that Thor and Frost ‘T’ only have X amount of outdoor play time together. However; the part that really has me concerned is how Frost ‘T’ looks at me and when he can lie down for a few minutes how he just stares up at me. I really do not wish to think about what he could possibly be telling me. He always had the heart inside of him in the past when he was ill to continue to wag his tail and that is gone and that very special light in his eyes is not the same. I am going to really open up my heart and try to ‘listen’ to what Frost ‘T’ is telling me and not to be selfish for my sake. I am hoping that Frost ‘T’ bounces back once more for now that we are so close to XMAS, all I want for the holiday season is for him to be with all of his family. I know I cannot ask and have not right to ask for anything more considering he was suppose to have died by December 25th, 2005; BUT I am going to fight for and with him should he have the desire to do so. I know that if Frost ‘T’ is truly ready to leave and be with his sister WinterGirl; then nothing I can possibly say or do is going to be able to keep him here…………. Please keep him in your thoughts!

IF you wish to wish Frost ‘T’ a Happy 3rd Miracle Birthday; you can leave a message for him here —–http://groups.msn.com/THEGREATDANEROOM/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=243394&LastModified=4675594253825179107

OR here:

http://leansnslobbers.proboards92.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=talk&thread=1161289057&page=2
*I also posted a Birthday Photo Show for him here!!!!

I took Frost ‘T’ to work with me today and I was almost brought to tears on his new weight. He now weighs the most he has ever weighed! 61.8 KGs(135.96 lbs). EVEN more emotional for me is that on October 19th of this year; Frost “T” will celebrate what many thought he would not ; HIS 3rd Birthday!!!! I truly am in awe of this incredible boy and to say that I am proud of him is an understatement. I am so completely owned by Frost “T” and without hesitation would do anything in my power for him. From this picture below taken in December of about 108 pounds to the April picture below of Frost ‘T’ then weighing just over 121 pounds, Frost ‘T’ has put on almost another 15 pounds and I will have to post a recent picture of him. HE looks MARVELOUS!!!! To those that have critiqued me for fighting for his life; you will have to look at his most recent picture and ask yourselves very honestly is that the look of a dog that is suffering and a dog that I should have just had pts back in December of 2005. I think you will find just as all of his supporters do; that he is doing great and that I have been most diligent plus proactive in his treatment. IF only those that would have wished him dead would have the opportunity to meet such a rare gem such as he and I welcome you to do so during our next Fundraiser on November 4th, 2006. Just 8 weeks ago; Frost “T” also became my most recently qualified Therapy Dog. What those people just do not seem to understand is that Frost ‘T’ is not ready to go and as long as he is prepared to fight; I am going to be right by his side fighting with him. As I am always known for saying; we all must make the best decisions we can for our beloved pets and I made mine not just from being as informed as I can be; but from my heart AND medically PLUS based upon my connection with Frost ‘T’ and what I know he is telling me.

Frost “T” joined us as we participated in the annual OHS Wiggle Waggle Walk and won the ‘Biggest Dog Contest’! He has has also just celebrated on September 23rd, 2006; the 9th MONTH survival miracle mark! I can truly not ask anymore more of heaven and the stars for what I have been given to date; yet my heart SO wants years and years more with him. He is still almost 5% dehydrated due to his chronic diarrhoea and his favourite foods of late involve homemade French Baguettes, homemade pizza and homemade hashbrowns! I was so touched by the number of people at the Wiggle Waggle Walk who recognized him from our website or remembered him from being at KAH with me when I work. He has touched many people with his beautiful soul plus spirit!

Frost ‘T’ Immortalized Link!http://leansnslobbers.proboards92.com/index.cgi?board=pictures&action=display&thread=1157055010

PICTURE LINK!http://leansnslobbers.proboards92.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=pictures&thread=1156166670

I brought Frost ‘T’ with me to work tonight to get a new weight on him and he now weighs 129.36 Pounds(58.8 kgs). We have managed to battle back the weight that was lost at the end of July and also this makes the most that Frost “T” has weighed since before his slide last December of 2005. I literally welled up with tears. Update was put on the link above.

Here is a link with some latest updates on Frost ‘T’. There is an update on Page 1 & another update on Page 2 & another one further down. I plan on bringing him with me to the Vet’s tonight for a new weigh-in as I have Dragon going in for his annual @ 7:30 PM.http://leansnslobbers.proboards92.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=1154614663&page=1

Frost ‘T’ was brought to the Vet last week as he took a huge dive downward. He weighed in at 57.6 KGs(126.72 pounds) and is still having diarrhoea. He had bloody fluid draining from his nose. We also did a fecal culture and a fecal sample plus he is now on Flagyl. He did not begin to eat again until Saturday and has eaten a bit more today. The Vet also determined that he is a lot weaker in breathing from is left nostril than his right. We continue to monitor and thanks to everyone for there support for Frost ‘T’.

I brought Frost ‘T’ to the Vet with me on Saturday July 15th while I was working and as always, he was just incredible. He weighed in at 57.8 kgs again(127.16) pounds! SO, while I would wish for more, I cannot complain!!!! The heat has been so very hard on Frost ‘T’ and as a result on me as I am quite worried about it. The heat(120 degrees F or 49C) is suppose to break on Thursday, thank goodness. He is not a ‘water’ dog so I have to be extra careful when he is outside to ensure that he comes back in ASAP. Thanks to those that left notes for him on the BIG DOGS RULE MSN FORUM http://groups.msn.com/BIGDOGSRULE/dogofthemonth35.msnw & to those that felt more comfortable emailing him instead! For him to have all of this positive energy sent his way is so touching! He will make the 7 month miracle mark on July 23rd!

Frost ‘T’ did not end up going to the vet with me as Mazda needed me at home that day(she was spayed on the 28th). His diarrhoea is very mild now and if he would only eat more dry, that would make me most happy! 🙂 ALSO, Frost ‘T’ is DOG OF THE MONTH for July 2006 on the BIG DOGS RULE MSN FORUM http://groups.msn.com/BIGDOGSRULE/dogofthemonth35.msnw Please feel free to drop in and leave him a special note!!!!

Frost ‘T’ will be going to the vet’s tomorrow night as his diarrhoea continues. I also would like to get a new weight as I know the Pet Expo was quite hard on him. He also split open the tip of his tail with all of his ‘happy’ tail syndrome due to the close quarters in the hotel and at the Expo, he hurt it.

I took Frost with me to work today at the Vet Hospital and he is 57.8 kgs(127.16 lbs)! THAT is awesome! That is the most he has weighed since before he got sick in December 2005! He is still having diarrhea and not eating a lot of dry and I have left a ‘duty’ log for one of his vets to call me about the diarrhoea. I am so amazed by this boy and this Friday marks his 6 month ‘Miracle’ mark. After such a sad week, this news has been wonderful.

I took Frost with me tonight when I was at the vet’s with Cherokee(who is doing awesome!) to re-weigh him. He was just over 55 KGs (121 pounds). WOOHOO! He is still not eating dry food and is drinking just fine. So, the weight is his hydration level being normal again. The Vet was so kind to re-check his heart and says that while it is not great, he agrees with the Vet that I saw on Thursday in that it truly does sound better than he has heard it since this began for Frost ‘T’ on December 23rd. We are continuing with the GI stimulator pills for one more day and also the Flagyl. Frost is on over 40 pills a day right now yet he allows me to give his pills without any complaint. He is especially not fond of the Vetmedin. We are also going to move forward and give Frost ‘T’ Lasix only when he needs it(puffs, coughs, wheezes, turns purple) as it is a fast acting med and that will greatly reduce the number of pills that Frost will receive daily should he not have need of it. Frost sniffed out the ‘liver’ treats in one of the drawers on the exam table and pawed at it! Perhaps, he should be a ‘sniffer’ dog with that nose! 🙂 I guess I will now be buying liver treats IF that is what he is going to eat. Frost also ate the treat plus two McNuggets from McDonald’s and really turned heads with his head out the sunroof! Frost continues to create amazing and wonderful memories for me every day and on June 23rd, it will be 6 months to the day that he began having his heart problems. I have decided that I will be bringing Frost with me to Pet Expo on June 24th as I truly cannot bear to be without him and as much as he loves Sean and the kids; it is me that he truly owns. If something happened to him while I was gone, I just do not know how I would ever forgive myself for not being there for him. I know that this will mean one less Rescue animal to accompany me that day and I truly hope that the public will understand as Frost is a huge part of me. I know that Frost will be an incredible ambassador for BHRR as it will give people the opportunity to see just how normal a SN’s animal is as a cherished member of their beloved family.

Frost start a GI stimulator on Friday to try and get him to eat more. As of Sunday evening, Frost finally began to eat more and while he still is not eating dry, he is having beef stew, broth, wet H/D and ate some cheese today. I will be bringing him with me to the vet’s tomorrow when I have Cherokee in for her annual as I want to get a current weight on him. He is now drinking normally and is back to his usual sleep patterns. He had me very scared and worried!!!!

I took Frost ‘T’ to the vet tonight as he has been vomiting and having bloody diarrhoea. He had not eaten since breakfast on the 31st and stopped drinking water today. We put over 600ml of sub-q fluids into Frost and he only weighed 49.2kgs(108.24 lbs). 🙁 As I said to the vet, I do not believe it is his heart. Nothing indicated to me that it would be and I believe that Frost ‘T’ who ingested water from our recently filled and shocked/chlorinated kids pool is ill because of doing so. I also caught him eating long grass. The Vet said that Frost’s heart was the best that he has heard it since all of this began for Frost last December and that he could barely hear his HM. That was great news. Frost has come home with Flagyl(4 pills, twice a day for 10 days) and the stool sample we took showed no signs of anything abnormal. Frost is also on Sentinel monthly and that takes care of hooks, whips etc. so it was not surprising to hear that his fecal smear was normal. Even though he was not well and his tail was not up to it’s usual ‘whip’ self; he still managed to wag it for the kids and people who stopped to pat and admire him at the Vet Hospital. One couple was completely floored when they asked why I was using my hands and I said that Frost ‘T’ was deaf. As I keep saying, education and public awareness is so key and Frost ‘T’ sure changed their outlook towards deafies/visually impaired animals. People’s jaws just dropped as Frost was in a perfect heel as we walked into the exam room and many a comment was heard about how much better behaved and trained he was over their own hearing dogs. I did not even have to ask Frost for the heel as we have worked so long/closely together that we just fall into our routine. I am so VERY proud of him. He is an amazing boy. Frost is now sleeping like a log on his supersized beanbag chair next to me as I type. As my husband and many others have stated, Frost ‘T’ is my shadow just as Phantom was and Maggi plus Klondike are and we are almost glued at the hip we are so close. Sean would be right. Admiration, respect, adoration and bursting love is what I feel for them and I get the best feeling in my heart over them. They truly own me. If need be, I will bring Frost ‘T’ back tomorrow for more sub-q fluids.

We are on that rollercoaster ride down again. Frost has not eaten well in the last three days. You can literally see the weight dropping off him. As soon as the weather gets warm; Frost starts having problems. Today, was the first day that he ate more than what a bird would eat and the weather outside has greatly cooled down plus it is raining. I put beef stew on his kibble to try and entice him as the yogurt, shredded cheese, chicken and many other ‘usually’ palatable items to Frost “T” ceased to interest him. He is still drinking yet not playing as enthusiastically as before and also sleeping more. I will continue to monitor him and if need be, I will take him in to see my Vets. It has now been almost 5 months since his ordeal had begun and he is still here with us!

I took Frost with me when I was going to work at the Vet Hospital on Friday April 28th and while we were there, I re-weighed him and he is NOW 55.4 KG(121.88lbs)!!!! WOOHOO! I also had his Electrolytes re-done and they are STILL NORMAL!!!! I was so overcome by emotion, I thought I might cry. 🙂 A lovely couple that was at the Vet Hospital that night with one of their own pets; said that they would send a special word upstairs for him. What amazing kindness! I would like to see Frost put on at least another 15+ pounds as at a whither height of just under 40″; he is still painfully thin. One of my best memories of Frost on our drive to the Vet Hospital was that with the warmer weather back again; he could stick his head out of the sunroom. THIS is one of his most favourite things to do and he turns more than one head while we are driving!!!! I had the best warm glowing feeling in seeing him have so much fun and experiencing such joy in doing that!

Frost has now passed the 4 month miracle making mark! However; he had a really bad slide about 10 days ago when the weather began getting warmer and he turned purple on me due to lack of perfusion. He is now back up on his feet yet my worry is that with the summer quickly approaching which means hotter temperatures; how is Frost ‘T’ going to fare…….. We do have A/C inside yet we continue to support his ‘quality’ of life over ‘quantity’ and yet I find it hard watching him run outside in the warm weather fearing what might happen. It is time to bring him in for some Electrolyte testing as well as to obtain a new weight for he has put on some more since our return. There is a comparison picture of him below from December to April, what a difference!!!! And one of him sleeping….what a dream!

I took Frost to the Vet with me tonight as I had Jasper going in for his annual. Frost weighs 53.8 KGs.(118.36 lbs.). sigh……… The Vet was so kind to make some time to listen to his heart and lungs even though I had only brought him in to be weighed. His lungs are clear yet your can still hear the arrhythmia of his heart. The Vet said that perhaps it is time to contact a Cardiologist again to see what else we can do for Frost. He was suggesting perhaps another diuretic besides the Lasix that Frost is currently on. He also mentioned Nitro yet did not seem to feel that was the route to take. The Vet plans on touching back with the Cardiologist soon. We also need to determine why Frost’s ears are turning purple and his is ‘puffing’ more. Is it because of the weather warming up and he is continuing to exert himself trying to play outside or is he truly taking a slide downward. I will monitor that situation. As indicated to the Vet; we will continue to work on quality of life for Frost and not quantity.

We have come back from being away to find that Frost is still doing well. He has lost considerable weight during our absence and I plan on bringing him in to re-weigh him and to test his Electrolytes, Digoxin levels etc. very soon. It will be three months tomorrow since he had his huge slide downward in his health and even as I am typing this, he is giving me the best kisses on my face and ear.. THAT makes having to get up every 1.5-2 hours each night to let him out and THAT much more worth it all! 🙂 His weight issues continue to cause me great concern and so we keep trying new things to interest him in food. He has now taken a liking to Mason’s McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and is back on his wet H/D kick. We have taken some new pictures of Frost “T” with Sean’s new digital camera and I will post some updated pictures of him soon. Thank you again to all that have been keeping him in their thoughts.

Frost is sporting his new coat that Heidi from FuRKiDz has made him and he is up to 7 Lasix every 4-6 hours now to help him rest. From the way he is zooming around outside, I would say he feels pretty darn good! He is still here 9 weeks after his ordeal first began and each day is an incredible memory made.

I brought Frost to the vet on Thursday February 9th and he is still recovering from his ordeal. He weighed in at only 53.1 KGs.(116.82lbs)

I took Frost with me when I worked at the Vet Hospital yesterday and did a re-weigh. He is now 54.8 kgs(120.56lbs)! That is 3 KGs(6.6 pounds) in two weeks that he has put on! I guess all of the roast chicken, bow-tie pasta with veggies and beef stroganoff is paying off! 🙂 Whatever he will eat, I will give it to him. Frost has always been a picky/fussy eater and never one huge on treats so I continue to offer him everything I can to whet his appetite. He has taken a liking to McDonald’s French fires much to the chagrin of my 2 year old daughter! His Digoxin levels appear good. I left a note in the Vet’s duty log to contact me to see if/when I should re-test his levels and also to order more Lasix. He is still on almost 25 pills a day and WHAT a trooper! He was not expected to live this long and while I know that his heart can never be fixed; he is doing amazing. I am now thinking in days, not hours with him and am positively blessed to have this time with him. Today marks 1 month since Frost started to take a huge slide downward. I believe that each animal that crosses our path can teach or show us something. Frost is teaching me more about acceptance and just living each day one at a time plus to soak it up to the maximum. Frost takes everything in his stride and has continued to forge on with his tail wags, ‘roo-roos’, Dane leans and his smiles. He has won many people over at the Vet Hospital and continues to charm all those that he meets. Sometimes, I feel that Frost is in a whole different world of nothing but pleasure plus bliss and I am calmed by just sitting with him and watching him live and simply breathe.

At the Vet Hospital last night, I learnt that the test results were back on his internal organ function such as Kidneys and they looked good. We are still waiting on the Digoxin level test to come back. Once those are back, we will then try to work in finding that ‘balance’ for him med-wise. Frost ‘T’ is becoming a really challenge to feed and he has now taken to wanting to eat ONLY out of a food bag or the food storage container. IF we do not allow this, he will not eat at all. UGH! 🙂 Last night he did eat one wiener and a piece of bread and had a little dry H/D. HE is just not eating enough to keep a dog half his size healthy. When the Vet asked me how he was doing, I said that I think he is doing great considering that everyone had expected him to be dead by now. I have already had more time with him than what was originally told to us and I take each day as a new miracle. I know that he is not well and I know that his heart is bad and that we cannot do a heart transplant for him yet from where he was on December 23rd to where he is now; it is amazing! I am truly thankful for each day that I have with him. As with Phantom, I just know that Frost ‘T’ will prove everyone wrong for as long as he can!!!

I took Frost ‘T’ with me today when I went to work at the Vet Hospital. We tested his Electrolytes which are normal and we sent off serum for Digoxin levels plus kidney function. He has put on .8 of a pound and is now 51.8 KGs(113.96 lbs). He finished his Cephalexin yesterday and the culture we did came back indicating that there was no infection after all. He is now on 24 3/4 pills daily. His heart is still arrhythmic on the left side and his pulse is still weak. He had been sleeping almost 18 hours a day for the past short while yet now he is back to sleeping about 4 hours a night. The Vet has suggested that we increase his Lasix and we will wait for the level results to come back to see about trying to find that ‘right’ balance in meds for him. While he is drinking more, he is still very hard to feed and is now refusing to eat the wet H/D. So, it is a challenge to find things that he will eat. He is also now taken to wanting to eat snow and that is not good either. We go day-by-day with him and are saddened the learn that the left side of his heart has not stabilized as much as we hoped. Yet, he is wagging his tail almost as much as he used to AND for anyone who has experienced Frost ‘T’s tail, YOU will know just how much ‘welcoming’ power he can pack!!! 🙂 Keep the positive energy coming for each day is so very precious!!!!

With the weather being so awful today; I have had to post phone bringing Frost ‘T’ in to measure his levels. Hopefully, the roads will be better by tonight and I can then bring him in as this is extremely important.

After talking to Frost ‘T”s vet today; she has recommended putting him on Omega 3 Fatty Acids to try and help his weight. I hope to pick that up tonight when I am at the Vet Hospital.

Frost ‘T’ is now on Cephalexin 1500 MG, TID and Apo-Diltiaz 1.5 tablets BID on top of his other meds. He has lost another 2+KG’s and we kept him on IV fluids all day. Frost is now on 6 meds for a total of 33 and 3/4 pills daily. He is on the Cephalexin as his white blood cell count was high; indicative of an infection. We are having a culture done yet with the holidays; we knew that a result would not be coming back until next week; so he was put on antibiotics for the ‘mostly’ likely infection for his condition. He is now sleeping better, about 4+ hours each night yet he is not eating well. We are trying everything and anything to get him interested in food. Frost has lost over 20+ pounds since his ordeal began and being on the thin side to begin with; we are very worried about him. Keep him in your thoughts.

With the recent, sudden plus severe onset of our Frost ‘T’s Heart condition – DCM, arterial fibrillation and left ventricular/atrium enlargement; I have made another tough decision that while we will remain committed to those Rescues currently in our program and the one’s that we have in the ‘pipe’; I cannot take in any new one’s unless absolutely necessary. One; time is very precious for we have been told that we ‘do not have long’ with Frost and two; I cannot expose him to any stress or illnesses that may jeopardise his fragile condition. We had been monitoring Frost & his heart since October and then on December 23rd 2005; he took a huge slide for the worse and I have been spending my time trying to just get him through the next critical ’24 hours’. Today; we can be cautiously optimistic and can look towards getting Frost towards a ‘five day goal’. He is on Enacard, Lasix, Vetmedin plus Digoxin at this time and tomorrow we will determine after his next set of X-Rays if he needs to go on a fifth med if his left ventricular/atrium enlargement has not improved. Next Thursday, we will re-test his Electrolytes plus his Digoxin levels, should he survive. He has been on IV fluids for the past two days with me taking him home at night to monitor and to be there for him as we have been warned that he could ‘drop dead’ at any time. Having just lost our beloved Phantom at the end of October; the part of my heart that is selfish wants to prolong his life so that I can have ‘more time’ just a little more time with him yet my heart understands that this has to be about ‘quality’ of life for him and so; I will let Frost tell me when it is time for him to leave us. My apologizes that my website has not been updated as frequently as normal for my amazing Frost ‘T’ has had to take the forefront of my time and attention. I will update as I can. For those who have not had the pleasure of knowing Frost; he is my deaf plus visually impaired boy who has taught a lot of people about how incredible, intelligent, wonderful plus loving special needs animals are. Frost had also been in training as one of my Therapy dogs.